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On a MISSION

Ninestar continues on its journey to becoming an industry leader and a truly international brand

Having been founded in June 2000, Zhuhai, China-based Ninestar Group has fast accelerated the business through strategic acquisitions as well as organic growth. In 2014, it was listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. It is now a world-leading innovator and solutions provider in the printer and imaging supplies markets.

OPI talks to Eric Zhang, General Manager of the Printing Consumables business unit, about the company, its setup, philosophy and future plans.

Eric Zhang, General Manager, Printing Consumables, Ninestar

OPI: Please tell me a bit about Ninestar as it stands today.

Eric Zhang: Sure. Ninestar has over 18,000 employees, operates in 60 countries and provides a high-quality, environmentally-friendly and cost-saving user experience for some 200 million customers. Our annual revenues are now in the region of $3 billion.

OPI: Ninestar has made a number of acquisitions in recent years. Can you elaborate on these and what they’ve done to enhance the company as a whole?

EZ: In 2015, Ninestar bought Static Control, the founder of the remanufacturing industry’s quality standard. This print aftermarket supplier gave us access to cutting-edge remanufacturing technology, knowledge and experience.

The 2016 acquisition of Lexmark International was another big milestone. Lexmark is one of the best printer makers in the world, incorporating outstanding components and printer technology.

These two purchases have improved Ninestar’s technologies in the area of both remanufacturing and printers, which has been very helpful in terms of developing and producing high-quality products.

OPI: Innovation is vital I assume?

EZ: It’s in our DNA. Ninestar invests more than 6% of its annual revenues in R&D. With more than 3,000 engineers worldwide, it leads the aftermarket with 4,661 granted and 934 pending patents as of the end of December 2020.

This enormous portfolio includes patents in printer, ink, chip, and ink and toner cartridge technology as well as 3D printing.

particularly suppliers from Asia, because of perceived issues around product performance, reliability and patent infringement. Why should the reseller community trust Ninestar?

EZ: As an exclusive aftermarket player, an international hardware manufacturer as well as a leading third-party supplies vendor, our background and the in-depth OEM expertise we have all help us understand international regulations and the needs of worldwide customers. We know they seek high-quality, reliable, intellectual property-safe, and environmentallycompliant products.

This is why Ninestar invests so hugely in world-class raw materials, R&D and production. At present, we have 37 automated production lines: 32 for inkjet and ink products, the other five for toner cartridges.

We were the first aftermarket company willing to make considerable investments in automation in order to provide more cost-effective, consistent quality cartridges.

Right: architect impression of the new Ninestar employee residential project Below: staff well-being with weekly yoga lessons at Ninestar.

All in all, Ninestar’s mission is to become the eminent high-tech service provider of the printing industry

OPI: Talking of SmartMate: I believe this brand is being launched in Europe. What can the market expect from the product?

EZ: SmartMate is a premium Ninestar brand, specifically tailored for the B2B channel. In Europe, SmartMate offers an eco-friendly and reliable range of printing consumables due to its recycling credentials and industry-leading remanufacturing techniques.

Our customers in North America trust SmartMate – the products speak for themselves.

OPI: Where does corporate social responsibility (CSR) factor in Ninestar’s overall philosophy?

EZ: It’s incredibly important and revolves around several aspects. Ninestar has a long history of remanufacturing. This business idea itself is the driver of our sustainability efforts.

But being a responsible business means taking further steps in terms of reducing our

Ninestar’s SmartMate – products trusted by the company’s customers in North America. For more information on SmartMate, please email contact@ smartmatetech.com carbon footprint. We offer a broad closed loop, remanufactured range of alternatives to customers, for instance, coupled with the Going Green return-your-cartridge recycling services for consumers and our internal waste treatment plant.

In a different CSR initiative, back in 2007, Ninestar’s founder Jackson Wang signed a collaboration with the Chinese Red Cross – Ninestar Angel of Love – to establish a special fund for helping poor children suffering from leukaemia, with a significant annual contribution being donated to the fund every year.

At the same time, Ninestar is ramping up its training support to break the cycle of poverty in rural villages. By teaching skills and commencing enterprise projects, parents can afford to educate their children and as such hope is delivered to many communities.

Our workforce is also very important to us. Extra, high standard and comfortable apartment accommodation will be provided for staff in China close to their workplaces to reduce travel time and expenses. In addition, more women are being targetted for leadership roles after identifying, training and empowering employees.

I talked about innovation being in our DNA. It’s the same with CSR. Positive involvement in that regard is vital and both the founders of the group as well as its management go way beyond the typical legal necessities to ensure an outstanding, happy and healthy corporate culture.

OPI: Ninestar has grown rapidly to become an innovator as both a hardware manufacturer and a supplies vendor. What do you see as the next chapter in your remarkable story?

EZ: As a hardware manufacturer, our goal is to become a global top three supplier. We’re currently constructing a high-tech printer manufacturing base covering an area of 900,000 sq m (9 million sq ft) with a total investment of RMB9 billion ($1.39 billion). At full capacity, we will be able to achieve an annual production of four million printer units.

As a supplies vendor, our aim is to build a globally renowned and trusted brand. All in all, Ninestar’s mission is to become the eminent high-tech service provider of the printing industry.